Writing the Second Book in a Series
You’ve built your world, you’ve developed your characters, so writing the second book in the series should be easy.
Right?
Second Book Woes
While it was a joy to return to the characters and this world, I found crafting this novel difficult. More difficult than I expected!
To Recap or Not to Recap
First, I wasn’t sure if I should (or wanted to) recap Oil and Dust (Book 1) at the beginning of Graphite and Turbulence (Book 2). To answer this, I went sleuthing about recaps on the various reader sites to see if there was a preference. But, I found reader threads seem to be split about 50/50 on recaps. Personally, I find most recaps tedious, but I toyed with writing a quick summary and posting it on my website with a link from the book. I may still do this before I publish the third book in the series since it will have been a year since the last book, so let me know in the comments if it’s something you want!
Ultimately, I wrote Graphite and Turbulence the way it is because I wanted each book to stand alone. Sure, if you started with Book 2 and never read either Book 1, or the series prequel, A Garland of Cedar and Snow, you’d miss some of the shared history, but isn’t that the way of all stories? I mean, we never really start at the very beginning; each character and world exists before and/or after the story begins and finishes.
My decision meant I needed to make sure the story worked even without the context provided in Oil and Dust. To do so, I hired a beta reader who hadn’t read the first book and asked him to point out places in the narrative where he needed more context. I’m really glad I took this route; it gave me insight on where to include details and pieces of backstory in a limited way. It was so helpful that I plan to add one new beta reader to each book in the series.
Consistency Without Repetition
It was important to me to maintain the tone and style set in the first book, but I didn’t want to give my readers a recycled story. I decided the best way forward for this series was to go deeper into everything. For example, during this story, readers get to explore more of Matthew’s world, and his past, with him.
When bringing back familiar characters, I worked to ensure I showed how their past had changed them, while keeping them true to their nature. To do this, for each new character I introduced, I thought about how their addition affected the group’s dynamics and chemistry. I also shared more of the core group’s personal histories, which was a blast to do.
Plotting a sequel is tricky. Like Book 1, my goal with Book 2 was to provide a satisfying conclusion that didn’t end on a cliff-hanger. I also wanted to make sure I was providing conflicts and struggles that resonated with the first book, but repeating none of the events. And it was important to me to add story details which sufficiently foreshadow the rest of the four-book series.
By the way, the series climax unfolded in front of me while I was working on this book, and it’s going to be a doozy!
Marketing Considerations
My initial goal with Graphite and Turbulence was to meet my reader’s expectations, but give them something new. Which sounds simple enough…
But there’s a weird pressure that comes with writing a sequel. When you release your first book, there is nothing to judge it by. But each subsequent book provides a point of comparison. As the publication date approached, doubt and questions plagued me.
What if this novel falls flat? What if I let down my readers?
While I expected to have moments of anxiety, I knew that by choosing not to end on a cliff-hanger, the story needed to be compelling enough on its own to keep Matthew’s audience enthused for the rest of the series.
In the end, I decided the best way to market Graphite and Turbulence was to continue to promote Oil and Dust. And of course, to write the last two books of the series.
Publishing My Second Book
I published Graphite and Turbulence, Book 2 of the Elemental Artist series, on Wednesday, March 1, 2022.
Why thank you.
Graphite and Turbulence took a different path from what I went through with Book 1. The steps to publish were much easier the second time around, but I found the hard deadline set by the preorders extremely stressful. So stressful that I’ve decided to wait on setting up preorders for Book 3 until I’ve drafted it.
Graphite and Turbulence is a similar to Oil and Dust, but I believe it stands on its own. I’m proud of the story I’ve put out, and hope you love it as much as I do.
Have you written a sequel?
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